There is plenty of hype surrounding the Los Angeles Lakers going into the 2018-19 NBA season. Not only do they have the best player in the league in small forward LeBron James, but their promising young core has given them an opportunity to seriously compete for a championship in the near future.

Of course, there are still those who are skeptical about how this whole experiment will pan out. However, former Laker and current Cleveland Cavaliers big man Channing Frye has high expectations for the young guns, per Erik Garcia Gunderson of the LeBron Wire.

“I’ll tell you this: they’re arguably the most talented group in the NBA. And I mean talented in terms of experience, years playing in the Western Conference and their overall position.

“I think the thing they’re going to come to and I think a lot of guys are going to have to deal with this. There’s who you expect to be and then who you are when you play with LeBron. It’s two different things. I don’t know if they truly understand what it’s like to play with him because there is no room for mistakes. Because in all actuality, he could do it himself. He could lead a team to 40 wins by himself. I think for all of them they’re going to have to have a reality check, not only them but the people around them. There’s going to say, not a growing period, but a humility.”

Frye got a front-row seat to the development of these youngsters, and he also has experience with LeBron. After playing alongside James during his championship run in Cleveland, Frye was traded to Los Angeles at last season's deadline.

There is some truth to Frye's comments. Forwards Brandon Ingram and Kyle Kuzma have shown flashes of star potential, while guards Lonzo Ball and Josh Hart are poised to become quite the formidable backcourt pairing.

However, they have not had much time to get accustomed to playing together given the rash of injuries that occurred last season. There is no debating that the arrival of James means they will now have to fall in line with his playing style if the team is going to succeed. It will be interesting to see if the Lakers can find a way to compete in the Western Conference without impeding the development of their young core.